Wrapping machines



1366- 8 M. PARKER ETAL WRAPPING MACHINES Sheet Filed April 19, 1966 1968M. PARKER ETAL 3,413,734

WRAPPING MACHINES Filed April 19, 1966 Sheet 2 of 5 Dec. 31, 1968 M.PARKER ETAL WRAPPING mcamms Filed April 19, 1966 Sheet TIHHHMH Dw 31,1968 M. PARKE Em 3,418 18 WRAPPING MACHINES Filed April 19, 1966 Sheet 4of 5 J3 H U m {13 ]2--:::\ v 400 v V *f ZOO I! H f 11 I, I! M 66- In -40j W I L 3 Dec. 31, 1968 M. PARKER ETAL WRAPPING MACHINES Sheet FiledApril 19, 1966 United States Patent 01 ice 3,418,784 Patented Dec. 31,1968 3,418,784 WRAPPING MACHINES Matthew Parker and Geoffrey GordonLebeter, Leeds,

England, assignors to The Forgrove Machinery Company Limited, Yorkshire,England, a company of Great Britain Filed Apr. 19, 1966, Ser. No.543,710 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 4, 1965,18,751/65 1 Claim. (Cl. 53122) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine forwrapping margarine and the like which includes a rotatable ring carryinga number of spaced die chambers fed in succession with margarine from anextrusion box, an equal number of wrapping units and an equal number ofpairs of grippers which carry wrappers in succession to a position atwhich blocks of margarine are discharged from a die chamber andtransferred to a wrapping unit, and a discharge mechanism for wrappedblocks of margarine which is common to all the wrap ping units.

This invention provides a modification in the machine for wrappingmargarine, butter and like plastic substances described in United StatesPatent No. 3,304,690, granted Feb. 21, 1967.

The machine described in said patent includes a rotating ring carrying anumber of die chambers and also a corresponding number of wrappingunits, the chambers receiving blocks of margarine in succession from anextrusion box and the blocks being thereafter discharged from the diechambers into the wrapping units, and another rotating ring disposedeccentrically to the ring carrying the die chambers, which carries aseries of pairs of grippers which present wrappers into position betweenthe die chambers and the wrapping units at the point of intersection ofthe circular paths of travel of the die chambers and the grippers sothat a wrapper is transferred to each wrapping unit with the block ofmargarine fed to it from the associated die chamber. Eight die chambersare provided and ten pairs of grippers.

In the modified form of the machine provided by the present inventionthe pairs of grippers are equal in number to the die chambers and arecarried by the same ring as the die chambers, the wrappers travelling ina circular path concentric with and of the same radius as the circularpath traversed by the die chambers.

The invention accordingly provides a machine for wrapping margarine,butter and like plastic substances which comprises a rotatable ringcarrying a number of spaced die chambers, each containing a die plunger,an equal number of wrapping mechanisms one associated with each diechamber and an equal number of pairs of grippers each of which in turnpicks up a wrapper, maintains it in position adjacent a die chamber andreleases it upon ejection of a block of margarine from the die chamberby a die plunger to permit of transfer of the wrapper with the blockinto a wrapping mechanism, each wrapping unit being effective completelyto wrap a block in a wrapper, an extrusion box past which the diechambers are traversed in succession by rotation of the ring for fillingwith margarine and a discharge mechanism for the wrapped blocks which iscommon to all the wrapping mechanisms.

One embodiment of margarine wrapping machine according to the inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan View of the machine,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of one of the pairs of grippers,

FIG. 3 is a corresponding plan view and FIGS. 4-10 are diagramsillustrating successive stages in the wrapping of a block of margarine.

As shown in FIG. 1, a rotating ring 2 carries ten die chambers 3 whichpass in succession beneath an extrusion box 1 and ten wrapping units 4which correspond generally except that they are of opposite hand tothose described in United States Patent No. 3,304,690 and to whichblocks of margarine are transferred from the die boxes at position 10.The ring 2 also carries ten pairs of grippers 5, which close at station7 to pick up a wrapper 400 severed from a web 8 of wrapping material andopen again at station 10 to allow a wrapper, which is initiallypositioned above a die chamber, to be transferred to each wrapping unittogether with the block of margarine.

Each die chamber 3 contains a die plunger 68, FIG. 5, which is flushwith the upper surface of the ring 2 as it moves into position beneaththe extrusion box 1, and then descends to allow the die chamber to befilled with margarine from the extrusion box. On reaching station 10 theblock of margarine 200' is raised by the die plunger 68 from the diechamber 3, carrying with it the wrapper 400 released at that station bythe grippers 5, into a pair of carrier jaws' 11 as shown in FIGS. 4 and5. The jaws 11 then move radially outward, as shown in FIG. 6, to slidethe block 200 off the die plunger 68 and on to a folder 12 which foldsthe depending tail 401 of the wrapper against the base of the block. Atthe same time end tuckers 13 fixed to the folder 12 form first end tucks403 (FIG. 9) in the wrapper. The jaws 11, folder 12 and tuckers 13 thenmove radialy inwards, as shown in FIG. 7, to move the block on to afixed folder 14 which folds the other tail 402 of the wrapper againstthe base of the block. During a short dwell in this position, rotaryfolders 15 pivot upwardly, as shown in FIG. 8, to fold the projectingparts of the tails 401, 402 against the ends of the block as indicatedat 404, 405 in FIG. 9. The jaws 11 then move further inwards, as shownin FIG. 9, past fixed folders 16 which turn in the two remainingvertical folds, one of which is shown at 406 in FIG. 8, to move theblock on to an elevator 17. The elevator then rises, as shown in FIG.10, to carry the block through guides 18, which turn down the horizontalpointed tails 407 of the wrapper to complete the wrap, and into apresser box 19.

After compression of the end folds in the presser box 19, as describedin United States Patent No. 3,304,690 the presser box rises and thewrapped block is discharged by discharge belts 42, 43, 44 (FIG. 1). Themachine parts are operated from a set of fixed cams as the ring 2rotates as described in United States Patent No. 3,3 04,690.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each pair of grippers 5 includes a fixed jawincluding fingers 50 and a movable jaw including fingers 51, the fingersof each jaw being spaced sufiiciently apart to enable them to straddlethe extrusion box 1. The fingers 50 form part of brackets 52 and thefingers '51 are attached to pinions 53, which are rotatable on studs 54fixed to the brackets 52 and mesh with gear segments 55 fixed to a shaft56. The grippers are opened and closed by a lever 57 fixed to the shaft56 and carrying a roller 58 which coacts with a cam 59. Two springs 60,tending to maintain the grippers open or closed, are provided betweenthe pinions 53 and anchorages 61 on the brackets 52. A suitable detector(not shown but similar to that described in United Sates Patent No.3,304,690) may be provided for stopping the machine in the event offailure of the wrapper feed.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentsis:

1. A machine for wrapping margarine, butter and like plastic substanceswhich comprises a rotatable ring carrying a number of spaced diechambers, each containing a die plunger, an equal number of wrappingunits, one as- 3 sociated with each die chamber, and an equal number ofpairs of grippers each of which in turn picks up a wrapper, maintains itin position adjacent a die chamber and releases it upon ejection of ablock of margarine from the die chamber by a die plunger to permit oftransfer of the wrapper with the block into a wrapping unit, eachwrapping unit being efiective completely to wrap a block in a wrapper,an extrusion box past which the die chambers are traversed in successionby rotation of the ring for filling with margarine, and a dischargemechanism for the wrapped blocks which is common to all the Wrappingunits, each of said pairs of grippers comprising a fixed jaw having apair of fingers and a movable jaw also having a pair of fingers, thefingers of each jaw being spaced sufiiciently apart to straddle theextrusion box, a spring tending to maintain the jaws open or closed andcamcontrolled mechanism for opening and closing the jaws to enable themto pick up and transfer wrappers to the position at which blocks areejected from the die chambers.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 7/1960 Italy.

TRAVIS S. McGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

15 ROBERT L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 53232

